Process to Improve the Manufacture and Installation of Metal Assemblies, Used in Building Construction

ABSTRACT

An improved method and component design that makes for a more precise fit between steel studs and steel track, used in cold formed light gauge steel construction.

This patent application is the continuing work from the provisionalpatent applications No. 61911587, filed Dec. 4, 2013 and provisionalapplication, No. 61941065, Feb. 18, 2014.

Title,

Process to Improve the Manufacture and Installation of Metal Assemblies,Used in Building Construction

Field of patent search, 52/633; 52/634; 52/645; 52/656.1; 52/690;52/693; 52/694; 52/696; 52/731; 52/733; 52/745;

BACKGROUND

Cold formed light gauge steel is commonly used in commercial andresidential construction. This is usually accomplished with “U” shapedtrack and “C” shaped studs. The standard manufactured material hasvariations, such as different inner radiuses in the “U” shaped trackmaterial. This varies from manufacture to manufacture and batch tobatch. Because of this inner radius in the “U” shaped track, the studdoesn' t make a precise fit with the web or flat section of the track asshown in FIG. 1. The resulting gap can cause the structure/building tosettle and weaken under load.

One approach to this problem has been to widen the web or flat sectionof the track and bend the flanges or legs inward past 90° to compensatefor the extra width. This commercially available, as “Sigma Track” from,The Steel Network, Inc., Durham N.C. By doing this, the flange of thetrack makes only point contact with the stud, at the end of the flange.With this approach the track can walk or slip during assembly as shownin FIG. 1,a, 1,b, 1,c. and FIG. 13.

DESCRIPTION OF INVENTION/PROCESS

This process/method improves the fit between the stud and trackcomponents used in light gauge metal assemblies. The primary use is inbuilding/construction industry. Engineering the metal to metalconnections to be a precise fit, improves the physical properties of theassemblies and the structure. This is accomplished by the use of anadjustable forming tool to adjust the fit of the connection components.Or, by modifying the profile of the track as its roll formed, to allowfor a precise fit with stud.

The process starts by making the track so the inner surface of theflanges or legs is inside the inner radius of the track and is a precisefit with the outer surface of the stud. This allows the end of the stud5 to miss the inner radius 4 of the track 7 and contact only the flatsurface of the web 6 and the inner surface of the flange 2 .

This can be accomplished in several ways. One would be to extend thelength of the tracks web or use “Sigma Track”, so the inner radius isoutboard or wider than the width of the stud as shown in FIG. 2,b. Thenusing an adjustable forming tools to adjust the width between theflanges to precisely fit the stud as shown in FIG. 2,c if only the areato be formed is where the stud 3 makes contact with the track 7 as shownin FIG. 5. Or the track profile shown in FIG. 2,c and FIG. 4 could belongitudinally rolled along its length on a roll former.

Another approach would be to use standard off the shelf material such asshown in FIG. 1. The first step shown in FIG. 2 would be to determinethe distance 1 the flange or leg would need to be adjusted so the innersurface of the flange 2 would be inside the inner radius 4 of the track7. Then using an adjustable forming tool, punch/crimp the track to theneeded width as shown in FIG. 9. Then using an adjustable end formingtool, swage the end of the stud 3 to the proper width to form a precisefit with the track 7 as shown in FIG. 10.

This process can also be done on a CNC roll former as shown in FIG. 13.In this connection a dimple punch was used in the track 7 as shown inFIG. 6 and an elongated dimple was used as shown in FIG. 7. Theelongated dimple punch 27 and 28 allows the stud 3 to seat into thetrack 7 without any interference with the dimple punch 26 in the track7.

DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a photo of a typical metal track and stud connection, usingoff the shelf material, made on a compression table. It shows the studresting on the inner radius of the track, resulting in a gap between theend of the stud and the web/flat surface of the track. This also showsthe gap in between the track and stud.

FIG. 1, a. shows how track 7 can shift or walk when downward pressure isapplied to the stud 3 during assembly.

FIG. 1, b. shows how a track 7 with an extended web can shift or walkwhen a fastener is attached to one side.

FIG. 1, c is a photo showing what track & shift or walk looks like.

FIG. 2 shows a cross section of standard off the shelf material. 1 thedistance the inner flange surface 2 of the track needs to move to allowthe outer surface the of the stud 3 to miss the inner radius 4 of thetrack and allow the end of the stud 5 seat on the inner web/flat surface6 of the track 7.

FIG. 2, a. shows the distance 1 the outer surface of the stud 3 wouldneed to be swaged or crimped to make a precise fit with the stamped orlongitudinally rolled track 7 profiles from FIG. 2.

FIG. 2, b. is the cross section of a track 7, where the inner web/flatsurface 6 has been extended so the inner radius 4 of the track isoutside of the outer surface of the stud 3.

FIG. 2, c. is a cross section of stud 3 and track 7 where the track haseither been stamped or longitudinally rolled so the inner flange surface2 is a precise fit with the stud 3. The inner flange surface 2 and theinner web/flat surface 6 of the track 7 are at 90° to each other.

FIG. 2, d. is another example of a precise fit between the stud 3 andtrack 7 where part of the inner flange surface 2 and the track 7 are at90° to each other.

FIG. 3 is a cross section of a typical as rolled track 7 and thedimension 8 the inner flange surface 2 of the track 7 needs to be to,allowing the end of the stud 5 fit flush with the web/flat surface 6 ofthe track.

FIG. 4 shows the cross section of a track 7 that has been formed so theinner flange surface 2 has been adjusted so it is inboard of the innerradius 4. This can be accomplished on a roll former, where the profileis continuous along the entire length of the track. However, analternative method would be use a standalone adjustable forming tool noonly the areas where the stud 7 will intersect with the track 3. A smallhole 17 can be punch or drilled for the fasteners if desired.

FIG. 5 shows two track 7 elements back to back with pre-punched/drilledholes 17 for fasteners and indentations 19 to match the top and bottomtrack 7. Both of them can be made on a CNC roll former or by astandalone work station. The track 7 elements take the most amount oftime to process on a CNC roll former, because of the number ofstop-punch-start operations needed. If two track 7 elements were placedback to back as shown, then a double multi-axis forming work stationcould process two track 7 elements at the same time. A bar code 18 orother identification could be printed on the track 7 elements at thetime of rolling or punching then this bar information could be integrateinto other manufacturing operations such as material tracking, assembly,QC, shipping and installation operations.

FIG. 6 shows a cross section of a track 7 the same as in FIG. 4 and aswaged stud 3 with the addition of an extra depression sometimesreferred to as a dimple 26 with a pre-punched/drilled hole 17 for afastener. If the dimple 26 is used it is preferable to have elongatedimple 27 indentations, as shown on the left side of the stud 3 or anelongated slot 28 as shown on the right side of the stud 3

FIG. 7 shows the outer flange surface of the stud 3 using an elongatedoval dimple 27 no hole.

FIG. 8 is the same as FIG. 14 but is an open ended dimple slot 28 makingassembly much easier, alien with no hole. When using correspondingindentations to keep the head of a fastener below the outer surface ofthe track 7 it is desirable not to have a hole in the stud so there willbe no miss match of holes when the assembly is put under load before thefasteners are used. Any miss match in the hole alignment will reduce thefasteners effectiveness, because less of the thread will be engaged.With no hole in the stud all of the thread is engaged.

FIG. 9 is a photo of a standard track 7 and stud 3 connection that hasbeen sized with a standalone multi-axis adjustable forming tool.

FIG. 10 is a photo of the opposite view of FIG. 9

FIG. 11 is a photo of a stud 3 and track 7 connection that has beensized with a standalone multi-axis adjustable forming tool, and thensoldered instead of using a mechanical fastener.

FIG. 12 is the inside view of FIG. 11.

FIG. 13 shows a stud 3 and track 7 that was made on a CNC roll former.This connection is using a dimple punch in the track 7 as described inFIG. 6 and an elongated dimple punch in the stud 3 as described in FIG.7 and FIG. 8

1. A “U” shaped track, where the web section has been extended so theinner radius of the track is wider than the stud to be used; and theflange sections have been bent back towards the center of the track, upto 180°, then the flanges bent away from the center, up to 90° forming adouble radius bend at the web and flange intersection that results in a“U” shape, where the inner surface of the flanges are at a 90° angle tothe web and inboard of the web radius, allowing the stud to fitprecisely in between the flanges and make full contact with the websection of the track and not contact the inner radius of the track.
 2. A“U” shaped track of claim 1, where the second bend is 85° to 95° so theflanges have a plus or minus 5° camber to the stud.
 3. A “U” shapedtrack of claim 1, where the forming is done on a roll former.
 4. A “U”shaped track of claim 1, where the forming is don't with an adjustableswage, crimping or punching tool and only where contact with a stud isneeded.
 5. A “U” shaped track of claim 3, where the second bend is 85°to 95° so the flanges have a plus or minus 5° camber to the stud.
 6. A“U” shaped track, of standard sized commercially available material, hasbeen crimped, swaged or punched with an adjustable forming tool, so theinner area of the flanges that will contact a stud has been movedinwards so the inner side of the flanges are inboard of the inner radiusof the web/flange intersection and the flanges are at 85° to 95° to theweb, so a stud that has been swaged or crimped with an adjustableforming tool will fit precisely in between the flanges and make fullcontact with the web section of the track and not contact the innerradius of the track.
 7. A precise stud and track connection where arecess/depression has been formed in the flanges of the track so thehead of a fastener is below or flush with the outer surface of theflanges and an elongated recess/depression in the form of an oval orslot, has been formed at each side of end of the stud, where the lengthof the oval or slot is up to the same length as the flange of the trackand the width and depth of the negative side of the elongated oval orslot fits into the positive side of the flanges recess/depressionsallowing the stud to fit down to the web without an interference betweenthe recess/depressions of either the stud or track.